Pull out your chairs, dig your bare feet into the sand (careful with the sandcrabs), and turn your eyes to the sky tonight, April 14-15, for a sample of what the cosmos has for us. Tonight and into the wee hours of tomorrow is the astronomical event of the year: a blood moon.
During dawn of April 15th there will be a total eclipse of the moon, which marks the beginning of a series of what is popularly known as “four blood moons,” or rather a succession of eclipses to take place between 2014 and 2015 wherein the moon will take on reddish characteristics.
This privileged region of North America will be able to see this phenomena a total of four times in coming years, with approximate intervals of six months: April 15, 2014; Oct. 8, 2014; April 4, 2015: and Sept. 28, 2015.
During this rare phenomenon, the planet’s atmosphere acts as a lens, diverting light from the sun while filtering out its blue components and leaving behind a red light that will be reflected on the moon. The eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the Earth’s shadow, which covers the moon completely.
Due to the grand interest the blood moon has aroused, NASA has set up a chat room for curious star gazers to begin at 1 a.m. (EST), Midnight in Mexico City, and 10 p.m. in Sonora.
Enjoy the vacation period and get ready with an afternoon nap, pajamas and a night outside to take in the lunar eclipse and the blood moon phenomenon.